Fixed Wing Losses Due to Air Base Attacks

At 25 minutes past midnight as October became November Bien Hoa air base was rocked by the explosion of mortar rounds. The Viet Cong had set up six 81mm mortars less than a quarter of a mile from the northern perimeter of the base and fired 83 rounds before withdrawing without loss to themselves. Twenty B-57Bs of the 7th and 13th TBSs were parked in four neat rows in the centre of the base and five were destroyed with 13 others damaged to some degree. In addition a HH-43B Huskie rescue helicopter was destroyed and two more damaged and the VNAF had three A-1s destroyed, three more damaged and two C-47s damaged. Four American soldiers were killed and 72 others wounded. This was a devastating and highly embarrassing attack for the American forces and was only the first of many such attacks. Air base defence in South Vietnam was a constant problem that was never really solved. Defensive perimeters were pushed out further and further (in some cases several miles) but it was a costly task in that it tied down considerable numbers of combat troops and the very nature of the enemy made them difficult to stop entirely.

Da Nang had grown into the major centre for air operations in the northern provinces of South Vietnam. On 8 March 1,600 US Marines had landed at the base and from then on Da Nang developed to become the main base for Marine Corps activity during the war. The Marines also took over responsibility for the security of the airfield in March 1965. In the early hours of 1 July a mortar attack at one end of Da Nang airfield provided a diversion for a group of VC sappers who killed a USAF guard, SSgt T K Jensen, and gained entry to the flight line. They then placed satchel charges and hand grenades among several aircraft. Two C-130A flareships from Naha’s 6315th Operations Group were destroyed along with three of Da Nang’s F-102 interceptors from the 509th FIS detachment. The F-102s were sitting on alert status and the enemy sappers simply threw hand grenades into the open cockpits and fired machine guns into the tailpipes. The flareships, which had only recently arrived at Da Nang, flew missions over the Ho Chi Minh Trail at night dropping flares for accompanying strike aircraft, usually B-57s at this stage of the war. Two VNAF C-47s were also destroyed in the attack on Da Nang and three more F-102s, three C-123s, and 18 VNAF C-47s were damaged. A C-130A 56-0475 from the 817th TCS of the 6315th OG was also badly damaged but later repaired and flew with the Air Force Reserve until it was retired to become a battle damage training airframe.

This was the second major VC attack on a US airfield and was even more successful than their first attempt at Bien Hoa on 1 November 1964. Following this attack on Da Nang, the base’s Marine Corps commander adopted a more aggressive airfield defence posture and pushed offensive patrols far out from the base.

27/28 October 1965

A-4C Skyhawk 148550, 148595 VMA-311, MAG-12, USMC, Chu Lai

During the night of 27/28 October VC sappers attacked the Marine bases at Chu Lai and Marble Mountain. About 20 Vietnamese infiltrated the flight line at Chu Lai and threw satchel charges into the tail pipes of the parked Skyhawks destroying two and damaging six more of VMA-311’s aircraft. Fortunately, several charges failed to detonate. Aviation fuel was leaking from aircraft that had been riddled with machine gun fire and armourers braved bullets and flames to unload ordnance from the aircraft to reduce the danger of further damage. Fifteen of the VC attackers were killed in the attack. The destruction at Marble Mountain was much greater than that at Chu Lai. Just across the Da Nang River from the Marine’s main base, Marble Mountain was a newly constructed base that was home to several Marine helicopter squadrons. A total of 19 helicopters, including 13 of VMO-2’s UH-1Es, were destroyed and 11 badly damaged during the attack. Three Americans were killed at Marble Mountain and 91 wounded.

A mortar attack at the Khe Sanh Special Forces Camp destroyed a USAF Bird Dog. The strategic location of Khe Sanh close to the DMZ and the Laotian border became even more important as North Vietnamese forces started to infiltrate into the area in large numbers at this time. Khe Sanh was also an important forward operating base for the FAC aircraft that controlled strikes in the Tiger Hound region of southern Laos and around the DMZ.

13 April 1966

C-123B Provider 56-4382 315 ACW, USAF, Tan Son Nhut

In the early hours of the 13th the VC launched a mortar attack on Tan Son Nhut. This was the heaviest air base attack up to this time with 245 rounds fired from mortars and recoilless rifles, and although only one aircraft was destroyed, about 60 others (including five SP-2H Neptunes of VP-1) received some degree of damage. In addition, 34 vehicles were destroyed or badly damaged and a 420,000-gallon fuel tank was set on fire and destroyed. The damage would have been even worse had not earth revetments been built as a result of earlier experience at Bien Hoa and other bases.

22 April 1966

A-1E Skyraider 52-132634, 52-135021 1 ACS, 14 ACW, USAF, Pleiku

An early morning mortar attack on Pleiku resulted in the destruction of two Skyraiders and damage to 11 other aircraft. A total of 79 mortar rounds are thought to have landed on the base and five men were wounded.

6 April 1967

O-1E Bird Dog 56-2613, 56-2654 504 TASG, USAF, Quang Tri

A VC mortar attack on the airfield at Quang Tri destroyed two O-1 FAC aircraft.

12 May 1967

F-100D Super Sabre 56-2954 3 TFW, USAF, Bien Hoa

F-102A Delta Dagger 56-1165 509 FIS, 405 FW, USAF, Bien Hoa

O-1G Bird Dog 51-12825 19 TASS, 504 TASG, USAF, Bien Hoa

A VC mortar attack on Bien Hoa destroyed three USAF aircraft. Two VNAF aircraft were also destroyed during the attack. A total of 189 rounds were fired at the air base and its facilities causing six fatalities.

In one of the most devastating and costly VC mortar attacks on a US airfield during the war, 10 US aircraft were destroyed and another 49 damaged to varying degrees in a raid on Da Nang. The attack commenced just after midnight of the 14th and a total of 83 mortar and rocket rounds were fired and eight men were killed with another 195 wounded. The attack almost wiped out the 390th TFS, which had 18 of its Phantoms destroyed or badly damaged. One burning Phantom, loaded with eight M117 bombs, was rapidly unloaded by a courageous maintenance crew organised by Col F C Blesse and Col H O Brennan before the fire reached the bombs. Another of the Phantoms was blown upside down in its revetment. The ammunition dump on the Marine Corps side of the airfield was hit and exploded with terrific force. The runway was cratered in a number of places but was quickly repaired the next day to allow replacement aircraft to be flown in almost immediately. The C-130E-II that was destroyed was an airborne command post aircraft and the 314th TCW detachment was redesignated as the 7th ACCS on 13 February 1968.

One of the bloodiest battles of the war was fought in the Central Highlands near Dak To between 3 and 22 November. After three weeks of heavy fighting the US 4th Infantry Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade forced the NVA to retire, leaving many casualties on both sides. Having noted the pattern of early morning arrivals of C-130s at Dak To, the North Vietnamese waited until three Hercules were sitting on the parking ramp before firing 10 rockets into the area. Two Hercules were hit and soon engulfed in flames. A third aircraft was backed out of the way of the inferno by Capt J H Glenn and his crew during a lull in the attack and a fourth aircraft, which had landed moments before the first rounds exploded, took off again rapidly. The attack also destroyed 17,000 gallons of fuel and over 1,300 tons of ordnance when the ammunition dump was hit by artillery. The airfield was closed for two days and when it re-opened only one C-130 was permitted on the ground at a time.

The Vietnam war was a unique testing ground for a myriad of clandestine operations and systems. One of the most important of these programmes was known initially as Combat Spear. Four C-130E-I Combat Talon aircraft (known more popularly as Blackbirds due to their paint scheme and their role) arrived at Nha Trang in December 1966. The unit was designated Detachment 1 of the 314th TAW, code named Stray Goose and was deployed from Ching Chuan Kang AB, Taiwan. The aircraft were highly modified with APQ-115 terrain-following radar, electronic coutermeasures systems and the Fulton Recovery System. Their role was to support the operations of the Special Forces and the MACVSOG, one of the most secret organisations in the theatre. The Detachment was redesignated as the 15th ACS in March 1968.

A mortar attack on Nha Trang air base destroyed one of the valuable Combat Talon Hercules and damaged three other aircraft. Thirty rounds were fired during the attack wounding 31 men but causing no fatalities.

Another enemy attack took place on an airstrip at Nam Can on the banks of the Song Cua Lon River in the Cau Mau Penisula, on the very southern tip of South Vietnam. The only aircraft lost was a Bird Dog FAC aircraft.

A Bird Dog was destroyed in a VC mortar attack on the airstrip at Rach Gia on the 28th. This was the second O-1 lost on the ground at Rach Gia, the first aircraft having been destroyed on 10 August 1967.

3 January 1968F-4B Phantom 151447 VMFA-122, MAG-11, USMC, Da Nang

An enemy attack on Da Nang resulted in the destruction of a Marine Corps Phantom. Twenty other aircraft were damaged to some degree but personnel casualties were limited to just two men who were wounded. A total of 49 mortar and rocket rounds were counted landing on the airfield during this attack.

A mortar attack on the airfield at Luang Prabang in Laos destroyed a U-10D Courier. The aircraft may have been one of those used by Air America.

29/30 January 1968F-4C Phantom 64-0826 366 TFW, USAF, Da Nang

F-4B Phantom 151407, 152273 VMFA-122, MAG-11, USMC, Da Nang

A-6A Intruder 152588 VMA(AW)-242, MAG-11, USMC, Da Nang

The North Vietnamese units assigned to attack the bases at Da Nang and Pleiku on the opening of the Tet Offensive are thought to have miss-timed their assault, which was launched 24 hours before the main offensive. No aircraft were lost at Pleiku but three Phantoms and an Intruder were destroyed at Da Nang and another 25 aircraft were damaged. Around 40 mortars or 122mm rockets were fired at the base during the attack and one man was killed.

The VC attacks in battalion strength on Bien Hoa and Tan Son Nhut were among the most spectacular air base raids of the war. Although only two aircraft were destroyed and 17 damaged at Bien Hoa and none were lost at Tan Son Nhut, the raids had a major affect on morale. Being so close to Saigon the aftermath of the attacks was well documented by the news media and the deaths of four American servicemen underlined the tragedy. A total of 45 rounds were fired at Bien Hoa during the raid and the airfield perimeter was breached in many places by sappers and infantry.

The Marine Corps airfield at Chu Lai also came under attack resulting in the loss of three Phantoms. The MAG-13 area received 48 rounds of 122mm rockets and at least two Marine airmen, Capt Arthur De la Houssaye and 1Lt Richard Allen Kerr, were killed. Chu Lai’s bomb dump was also hit and exploded with such force that it created a small lake and damaged buildings all over the base including VMA(AW)-533’s hangar. Despite the damage, aircraft were operating from the base within hours of the attack. The US forces had now lost nine aircraft on the ground in the first two nights of the Tet Offensive. With the loss of 13 aircraft (seven of them on the ground), January 1968 was overall the worst month of the war for the Marines as far as fixed-wing aircraft losses are concerned.

During the Tet Offensive the Citadel at Hué was captured by enemy troops and many hundreds of Vietnamese civilians were executed for collaborating with the Americans. The small airfield near the city was attacked by rocket and mortar fire and eight FAC aircraft were destroyed on the ground during the day. The O-2s had only been detached to Hué a few days before the attack took place.

2 February 1968F-4C Phantom 63-7580 366 TFW, USAF, Da Nang

The VC mounted another rocket and mortar attack on Da Nang air base on the 2nd. Only one aircraft was destroyed on this occasion

A VC mortar attack on the airfield at Tay Ninh near the Cambodian border destroyed a single Bird Dog with a direct hit.

11 February 1968F-4C Phantom 63-7663 unit unknown, USAF, base unknown

O-1E Bird Dog 56-2491 19 TASS, 504 TASG, USAF, Bien Hoa

O-2A Skymaster 67-21362 19 TASS, 504 TASG, USAF, Bien Hoa

Bien Hoa was hit by the Viet Cong again on 11 February, although only 16 rockets were fired and only three aircraft were destroyed during this raid. However, shrapnel and fire damaged another 26 aircraft. The Bird Dog was the fourth aircraft lost by the 19th TASS in base attacks during February.

The Viet Cong had even less success when they attacked Binh Thuy where they only destroyed a single O-2 after firing nine mortar rounds.

17/18 February 1968

F-100F Super Sabre 56-3923 3 TFW, USAF, Bien Hoa

Bien Hoa was once more the target for a Viet Cong attack on the 17th. Seven rockets or mortar rounds were fired destroying one Super Sabre and damaging three more. This Super Sabre first arrived in Vietnam when it deployed to Tan Son Nhut for five months with the 481st TFS in 1965.

The Viet Cong were more successful with their rockets at Tan Son Nhut where not only did they destroy a Hercules, the largest aircraft destroyed on the ground so far during the Tet Offensive, but they also hit two of the valuable reconnaissance aircraft. The VC used both 122mm rocket projectiles and 75mm recoiless rifles and about 100 rounds fell on the base within 20 minutes. 63-7749 was the tenth production RF-4C variant to be built. One of the rounds that hit the Hercules entered the fuselage through the overhead escape hatch and was described as a perfect hole-in-one!

Following their success during the night, the Viet Cong struck again at Tan Son Nhut in daylight resulting in the destruction of two more RF-4Cs. Four separate attacks were made on the airfield during the day with about 65 rockets or mortar rounds being fired.

19 February 1968RF-4C Phantom 65-0842 460 TRW, USAF, Tan Son Nhut

Tan Son Nhut lost a fourth reconnaissance Phantom in the space of three days during another day of Viet Cong rocket attacks on the airfield. Four attacks were made in the early hours and only 21 rockets were fired in total.

Shortly after Lt Col Hampton’s aircraft was shot down at Khe Sanh on the 6th, another Provider had its tail damaged by mortar fire as it was taxying on the airfield. The aircraft was repairable but further mortar fire on the 7th completed its destruction. Following the loss of three 311th ACS Providers at Khe Sanh within the last seven days, the 315th ACW started to rotate aircraft from other squadrons into Da Nang to share the burden of resupplying Khe Sanh.

12 March 1968

O-1G Bird Dog 51-12030 19 TASS, 504 TASG, USAF, Bien Hoa

The Tet Offensive may have fizzled out but the Viet Cong were still attacking airfields, albeit at a reduced tempo. A mortar attack on Song Be badly damaged an O-1G FAC aircraft. The destruction of the aircraft was completed when it was accidentally dropped by a helicopter as it was being airlifted out of Song Be.

16 March 1968AC-47D Gunship I 43-49330 14 ACW, USAF, Binh Thuy

A Viet Cong attack on the airfield at Binh Thuy resulted in the destruction of an AC-47 Spooky gunship. This aircraft had originally been delivered to the USAAF in November 1944.

23 April 1968C-7A Caribou 61-2399 535 TAS, 483 TAW, USAF, Vung Tau

A Viet Cong mortar attack at Vung Tau destroyed a Caribou transport on the ground.

14 June 1968U-3B Blue Canoe 60-6058 unit unknown, USAF, base unknown

A Cessna U-3 liaison aircraft was the only casualty of a Viet Cong attack on Tan Son Nhut on the 14th. The U-3 was a military version of the Cessna 310 five-seat light twin-engined aircraft and a small number were used for communications or administrative flying between the US bases in South Vietnam and Thailand. The aircraft was also used on a courier service to deliver photographs and intelligence information to airfields and airstrips throughout Southeast Asia. This was the only aircraft of its type lost during the war.

27 July 1968A-6A Intruder 152595 VMA(AW)-242, MAG-11, USMC, Da Nang

An enemy attack on Da Nang air base destroyed one of VMA(AW)-242’s Intruders and damaged four other aircraft. Only six rounds were fired during the attack and five airmen were wounded.

The most serious air base attack during July took place at Tuy Hoa on the 29th. Viet Cong sappers infiltrated the base and lay in long grass between the runways for several hours before placing their satchel charges. Two HC-130s were destroyed and another seven aircraft were damaged including five more C-130s, a C-47 and an F-100. Nine of the attackers were killed but the loss of two valuable aircraft was a major blow for the 3rd ARRG. This was one of the very few occasions that the VC actually penetrated the defences of an American base and was able to place charges undetected.

29 August 1968AC-47D Gunship I 43-49499 14 SOW, USAF, Phan Rang

A Spooky gunship was destroyed during a Viet Cong rocket attack on Phan Rang air base. This aircraft had originally been delivered to the USAAF as a C-47B in November 1944.

25/26 January 1969

F-100C Super Sabre 54-1956 120 TFS, 35 TFW, USAF, Phan Rang

F-100D Super Sabre 56-3301 35 TFW, USAF, Phan Rang

Two Super Sabres, including one from the Colorado ANG squadron, were destroyed during an attack by the NVA’s H-13 Sapper Company on the night of the 25/26th at Phan Rang. A total of 74 rounds of 82mm mortars and 107mm rockets were fired at the base and 11 other aircraft were damaged and 15 men wounded. Fourteen of the enemy soldiers were killed and one captured during the raid. The damage might have been even worse had a sapper attack, using satchel charges and grenades, not been discovered and turned back by base security police.

A Hercules was caught on the ground and destroyed during a Viet Cong mortar attack at night on the airfield at Tonle Cham, near the Cambodian border with South Vietnam.

22 February 1969O-1E Bird Dog 56-4227 504 TASG, USAF, Dau Tieng

A Bird Dog was destroyed by a Viet Cong satchel charge during a night attack on the base at Dau Tieng near the Michelin rubber plantations 35 miles northwest of Saigon.

22 February 1969F-100D Super Sabre 55-2918 3 TFW, USAF, Bien Hoa

U-10B Courier 63-13107 14 SOW, USAF, Bien Hoa

A more serious VC attack on Bien Hoa resulted in the loss of a Super Sabre and one of the Air Commando’s U-10B Couriers. Thirty-nine rockets were fired during the attack and eight other aircraft were damaged. Fortunately, there were no fatalities and only four men were wounded.

The Viet Cong achieved a major success at Chu Lai on the night of the 21st when they destroyed six Skyhawks on the airfield, four of them from VMA-311. The bases at Cam Ranh Bay, Da Nang, Phan Rang and Pleiku were also attacked on the same night but no aircraft were lost at these locations.

17 April 1969O-1F Bird Dog 57-2833 504 TASG, USAF, Da Lat

A Bird Dog was destroyed during a Viet Cong rocket and mortar attack on the airstrip at Da Lat, 40 miles northwest of Phan Rang.

5 June 1969O-1F Bird Dog 57-2981 504 TASG, USAF, Phan Thiet

A Bird Dog FAC aircraft was destroyed by a 107mm rocket during a Viet Cong night attack on the airstrip at Phan Thiet. This aircraft was the last of the 310 TL-19D instrument training variant of the Bird Dog to be built. It was later redesignated as an O-1D and then converted to an O-1F model.

6 June 1969O-1G Bird Dog 51-12824 20 TASS, 504 TASG, USAF, Da Nang

O-2A Skymaster 67-21325 20 TASS, 504 TASG, USAF, Da Nang

Two of the 20th TASS’s FAC aircraft were destroyed by 122mm rockets during a Viet Cong strike on the airfield at Da Nang on the night of the 6th. A total of 20 rockets were fired during the attack and a further 12 aircraft were damaged and four men killed.

5 November 1969O-1G Bird Dog 156680 unit unknown, USAF, base unknown

A Bird Dog was destroyed during a Viet Cong attack on an American base in South Vietnam. Although listed as a USAF aircraft this Bird Dog was one of a batch of eight aircraft serialled by the Navy’s Bureau of Aeronautics in 1967.

11 December 1969F-100F Super Sabre 58-1215 3 TFW, USAF, Bien Hoa

A Viet Cong attack on Bien Hoa on the night of the 11th resulted in fairly light damage except for the loss of a two-seat Super Sabre. Eleven 122mm rockets were fired and three men were wounded by shrapnel.

27 December 1969O-1G Bird Dog 50-1719 unit unknown, USAF, Tuy Hoa

A Bird Dog was destroyed as the indirect result of a Viet Cong attack on Tuy Hoa on the night of the 27th. The aircraft was being towed rapidly away from the flight line under fire when the aircraft struck a tree and was so badly damaged that it had to be scrapped.

31 March 1970O-1F Bird Dog 57-2883 504 TASG, USAF, Gia Nghia

A Bird Dog FAC aircraft was the sole victim of a Viet Cong night attack on the airstrip at Gia Nghia. The aircraft was hit and destroyed by a 60mm rocket projectile.

19 May 1970EC-47N Skytrain 43-15133 362 TEWS, 460 TRW, USAF, Pleiku

One of the venerable EC-47 RDF aircraft was destroyed and two other aircraft damaged during a rocket attack on the airfield at Pleiku. Only four rockets were fired, one of which made a direct hit on the EC-47, and no injuries were reported. This C-47 had served as a communications aircraft with the 7101st ABS at Wiesbaden in West Germany before conversion to EC-47N standard.

21 February 1971C-130B Hercules 61-2642 463 TAW, USAF, Clark

In the early hours of the 21st a C-130 was destroyed and three more aircraft damaged during a Viet Cong rocket attack on Da Nang. Six rounds were fired at the base and only one man was wounded. Hercules 61-2642 had just had its load of munitions unloaded as two of its engines required maintenance when it was hit by a 122mm rocket. The port wing was blown off outboard of the engines and the aircraft was gutted by fire. Four other aircraft were damaged in the attack but there were no serious casualties. The loss of a single Hercules had little effect on the huge airlift effort in support of the Lam Son 719 offensive in the northern provinces that was going on at this time.

12 April 1972EC-47P Skytrain 45-1102 362 TEWS, 366 TFW, USAF, Da Nang

It had been more than a year since the US forces had lost a fixed-wing aircraft in an attack on an airfield in South Vietnam. However, on the night of 12 April enemy forces mounted an attack on Da Nang during which an EC-47 was destroyed and another five aircraft damaged. One man was killed and 10 injured by the 24 rockets that were fired during the attack. 45-1102 had been a VC-47D VIP transport prior to conversion to EC-47 standard.

An enemy night attack on Da Nang airfield destroyed a Bronco and damaged another two aircraft. Only 16 rockets were fired and three men were wounded during the attack.

22 May 1972C-130E Hercules 62-1854 21 TAS, 374 TAW, USAF, Naha

A Hercules blew a tyre as it was making a night landing at Kontum. The aircraft could not be repaired in the dark so it had to left on the airfield until the morning. However, the aircraft was hit in a rocket attack as dawn broke and was destroyed. This Hercules was painted as the ‘Quan Loi Queen’.

17/18 August 1972

O-2A Skymaster 68-10980 20 TASS, 6498 ABW, USAF, Da Nang

The Viet Cong struck once more at the sprawling airbase at Da Nang destroying two aircraft and damaging 10 more with 122mm rockets. Da Nang suffered four such raids during the month of August alone. In addition to the O-2 the other aircraft lost was HH-53C 68-10361 of the 37th ARRS. This was one of the five HH-53s that had participated in the ill-fated raid on the Son Tay POW camp in North Vietnam in November 1970.

30 August 1972A-37B Dragonfly 69-6358 8 SOS, 377 ABW, USAF, Bien Hoa

A Dragonfly was the only aircraft destroyed during a Viet Cong attack on the airfield at Bien Hoa, although another 10 aircraft were damaged and one man was wounded during the attack. This was the last USAF fixed-wing aircraft lost during an air base attack during the war. This was also the last of 10 A-37As and 12 A-37Bs lost during the war.